One of the features of the online version of this newsletter is that readers can write comments at the end of each article, offering feedback, corrections, or additional information. I believe this is a great service for all newsletter readers, as it allows others to add even more information to the articles that I write. Anyone can add a comment, and many people have done so.
These comments have generally been useful. In recent months, however, the number of "spam comments" has been increasing. Anonymous people have posted advertising messages unrelated to the articles, promoting various "get rich quick" scams, sale of drugs without prescriptions, questionable credit history repair schemes, and similar junk. These comments have nothing to do with genealogy and nothing to do with the article that they were attached to.
I hate this stuff and assume that most newsletter readers feel the same way. In order to keep the online version free of such junk, I have been monitoring the comments section every few hours to delete the offending messages.
In recent weeks, the number of "spam comments" has been growing, and recently more "spam comments" have been posted than legitimate comments. I can't delete them fast enough! Many newsletter readers have been reading them before I had a chance to react. The result is a web site that does not project the image that I believe it should.
Effective now, I have added a requirement for user registration before adding comments. You will need to obtain a TypeKey registration before posting any comments. The process is free, quick, and easy. It is also confidential. The end result is the elimination of anonymous junk on the web site.
TypeKey is a completely pseudonymous system, which means that no personally identifying information is ever displayed to others. However, if you wish to tell the world a little bit about yourself, you can optionally put whatever information you choose to share on your TypeKey profile page. A link to that page is displayed next to every comment you make after you authenticate through TypeKey. If you choose to leave that page blank, no information will be displayed. Your privacy remains under your control.
The process is simple. During registration, you will be asked for an e-mail address. (Nobody else will ever see that address.) A verification e-mail will be sent to that e-mail address. Once you follow the instructions in the verification e-mail, you will be registered with the system. At that point, you may enter newsletter article comments any time you like. You only need to register one time.
If you are a Plus Edition subscriber, you should note that the comment registration is unrelated to your subscription user ID and password. You will need to register though TypeKey in order to post comments. You can use the same user ID and password if you wish, or you can create a different ID and password in the TypeKey registration. Please note that you do not need to be a Plus Edition subscriber to post comments.
I am committed to providing a junk-free newsletter to everyone that also respects user privacy. Therefore, I will require verification on all comments. I will not publish any information that you have not chosen to make public, nor will I share your information without your explicit permission. The result should be a newsletter site that remains free of spam.
Thank you for your understanding.
